FIG. 7 shows an example of a conventionally-known gas supply section (fluid control device) in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus (such as a CVD apparatus and an etching apparatus) (Patent Literature 1).
In FIG. 7, a line (C) of the fluid control device consists of a plurality of upper stage members and a plurality of lower stage members. As the upper stage members, a check valve (21), a pressure regulator (22), a pressure sensor (23), an inverted-V-shaped-channel block (24), a shutoff-release device (25), a mass flow controller (26), an on-off valve (27), an inverted-V-shaped-channel block (28), and a filter (29) are arranged. As the lower stage members, in the order from the left, arranged are: an L-shaped-channel block joint (32) which is connected to the check valve (21) and to which an inlet joint (31) is attached; a V-shaped-channel block joint (33) which causes the check valve (21) and the pressure regulator (22) to communicate with each other; the V-shaped-channel block joint (33) which causes the pressure regulator (22) and the pressure sensor (23) to communicate with each other; the V-shaped-channel block joint (33) which causes the pressure sensor (23) and the inverted-V-shaped-channel block (24) to communicate with each other; the V-shaped-channel block joint (33) which causes the inverted-V-shaped-channel block (24) and the shutoff-release device (25) to communicate with each other; the V-shaped-channel block joint (33) which causes the shutoff-release device (25) and the mass flow controller (26) to communicate with each other; the V-shaped-channel block joint (33) which causes the mass flow controller (26) and the on-off valve (27) to communicate with each other; the V-shaped-channel block joint (33) which causes the on-off valve (27) and the inverted-V-shaped-channel block (28) to communicate with each other; the V-shaped-channel block joint (33) which causes the inverted-V-shaped-channel block (28) and the filter (29) to communicate with each other; and the L-shaped-channel block joint (32) which is connected to the filter (29) and to which an outlet joint (34) is attached.
The various joint members (31) (32) (33) (34) as the lower stage members are mounted on a long and narrow secondary base plate (40) and the various fluid controllers (21) (22) (23) (24) (25) (26) (27) (28) (29) as the upper stage members are attached so as to straddle to reach corresponding lower stage members (31) (32) (33) (34), whereby one line (C) is formed. A plurality of lines each having a configuration similar to that of the line (C) are arranged in parallel on a primary base plate (20), and the shutoff-release devices (25) of the lines (C) are connected by channel connection means (50) which consists of three I-shaped-channel block joints (51) and tubes (52) which connect the I-shaped-channel block joints (51), whereby the fluid control device is formed.
A semiconductor manufacturing process is carried out in a clean room in order to prevent pattern defect due to particle contamination. In proportion to increase of the volume of the clean room, initial cost for the construction and running cost increase. Increase of the running cost and so on lead to increase of manufacturing cost. Therefore, downsizing of the entire semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, which is permanently installed to be used in the clean room, has been a problem. Consequently, downsizing of the fluid control device, which is used in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, has also been a major challenge.
As a downsized diaphragm valve, Patent Literature 2 discloses a diaphragm valve comprising: a body provided with a fluid inflow channel, a fluid outflow channel, and a depression which is open upward; a seat disposed on a peripheral edge of the fluid inflow channel of the body; a spherical-shell-shaped diaphragm which is elastically deformable and which is pressed against and separated from the seat to close and open the fluid inflow channel, respectively; a press adapter which holds an outer peripheral edge portion of the diaphragm between the press adapter and a bottom surface of the depression of the body; a diaphragm presser which presses a center portion of the diaphragm; and vertical movement means which vertically moves the diaphragm presser; and the press adapter being tapered with an entire lower surface thereof having a predetermined angle of inclination, and the bottom surface of the depression of the body having a circular flat portion and a depressed portion which is contiguous to an outer periphery of the flat portion and which is depressed relative to the flat portion, wherein, in a state where the fluid channel is open, an upper surface of the outer peripheral edge portion of the diaphragm comes in surface contact with the tapered lower surface of the press adapter, and a lower surface of the outer peripheral edge portion comes in line contact with the outer periphery of the flat portion of the bottom surface of the depression of the body.
For the diaphragm valve, improvement of the durability of the diaphragm is important because the diaphragm greatly deforms every time open and close operations are performed.
When the diaphragm valve is downsized, the diaphragm is also downsized. With these downsizing, a space width between the seat and the diaphragm is narrowed, whereby the flow rate decreases. When the space width between the seat and the diaphragm is enlarged in order to prevent the decrease of the flow rate, the stroke of the diaphragm becomes greater, which causes a problem that the durability of the diaphragm is decreased, as a result.
Patent Literature 2 attempts to improve the durability by the feature that the taper angle of the lower surface of the press adapter is 15.5 to 16.5° relative to the flat portion of the bottom surface of the depression of the body and that the radius of curvature of a surface of the diaphragm presser which surface is in contact with the diaphragm is 10.5 to 12.5 mm.